The government has treated foreign students 'like a political football' by
revoking London Metropolitan University's licence to sponsor visas, the NUS
said today.

The government has treated foreign students 'like a political football' by revoking London Metropolitan University's licence to sponsor visas, the NUS said today.

More than 2,000 international students are facing deportation after London Metropolitan University was banned from teaching foreign students amid fears many are using the courses simply to get a British visa.

Foreign students at London Met will now receive notification that they have 60 days to find another sponsor or face deportation and being unable to complete their degrees.

The NUS has today written to David Cameron and Theresa May to warn of the 'catastrophic effect' of the decision on higher education in Britain.

Liam Burns, NUS President, said: "It is disgusting that international students continue to be used as a political football by politicians who seem either incapable of understanding, or are simply uncaring about the impact of their decisions on individuals, universities and the UK economy.

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"This decision will create panic and potential heartbreak for students not just at London Met but also all around the country.

The needs of students must be at the heart of any process to find new places of study and NUS will be working with UUK and HEFCE to support affected students and ensure as far as possible that they can continue studying in the UK."

"Politicians need to realise that a continued attitude of suspicion towards international students could endanger the continuation of higher education as a successful export industry. This heavy-handed decision makes no sense for students, no sense for institutions and no sense for the country.

This situation and the botched process by which the decision was arrived at could be avoided if international students were not included in statistics of permanent migrants."

A UKBA investigtion found a quarter of overseas students sampled at London Metropolitan University did not have permission to stay in the country while a "significant proportion" did not have a good standard of English, and that in more than half of cases, there was no proof they were turning up to lectures.

The university had its Highly Trusted Status (HTS) for sponsoring international students revoked and will no longer be allowed to authorise visas, following the probe by the UK Border Agency.

Universities minister David Willetts has set up a task force to help "genuine students who are affected through no fault of their own" with advice and help including finding other institutions where they can complete their studies.

A spokesman for the Higher Education funding council said it would do everything it could to help students effected by the ban.

"Our top priority is to ensure that all of the University’s students – overseas and home/EU students, undergraduate and postgraduate students who will continue their studies next month.

"This is an unprecedented situation which relates only to London Metropolitan University.

"It will not affect existing or future international students at other universities. No other UK university has had its licence to sponsor international student revoked, and UKBA’s decision does not in any way reflect concern about licensing arrangements at other universities in the UK."